Play Nice 2024 AFL and State League Attendance

[Cmarsh]

I'm 100% with you so there is still scope for crowds to keep on improving going forward especially if both GWS and GC can start to improve their home crowd figures on the back of continuing success on the field.

Overall crowd growth just relying on GWS and GC would be small though.There would be much more effective growth if big clubs like Essendon and West Coast started to string some wins together.

 

[Hawkk]

ok some boring stats time, I saw this question pop up earlier as to whether attendances have tracked with population growth.

I think I can safely say they have.

Over the last decade (2014-2023)

• Aus Population rose 15%
• #AFL Attendance rose 18%
• #NRL Attendance rose 30%
• #ALM attendance dropped 31%

Over the last 40 years (1983-2023), since the NSWRL and VFL began looking around the rest of the country

• Aus Pop rose 73%
• VFL/AFL attendance rose 124%
• NSWRL/ARL/NRL attendance rose 197%

Over the last hundred years (1923-2023)

• Aus Pop rose 368%
• VFL/AFL attendances rose 427%

Data: AFLtables, UltimateAleague

Interesting, I wonder how much of an impact that:

a) Increased capacity from Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval has played in beefing up that average, and:
b) the impact from the top 20 ‘blockbuster’ matches (for example, in 2007 (second season after MCG was redeveloped), 6 of the top 20 attendances were in the 50,000’s, last year all 20 of the top attendances were over 65,000)

I'll have to look into that at some point

 

[The_Wookie]

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the entertainment offering for Gather Round is shaping up to be bigger than ever before, with one last chance for fans to secure the hottest ticket in town.

“With eight matches sold out across Gather Round already, we are thrilled to announce a limited release of tickets to all matches will go on sale for fans this Thursday,” Dillon said.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

After Round 1.

Home Crowd Average:

• Carlton = 83,881
• Collingwood = 78,933
• Essendon = 73,805
• Melbourne = 44,100
• Fremantle = 40,604
• Sydney = 40,012
• Geelong = 39,352
• Brisbane Lions = 33,367
• Port Adelaide = 33,230
• Gold Coast = 16,776
• GWS = 14,635

Home and Away Crowd Average:

• Essendon = 73,805
• Hawthorn = 73,805
• Sydney = 59,473
• Carlton = 58,624
• Richmond = 52,984
• Collingwood = 50,084
• Western Bulldogs = 44,100
• Melbourne = 42,056
• Fremantle = 40,604
• Geelong = 39,352
• St Kilda = 39,352
• Brisbane Lions = 36,986
• Port Adelaide = 33,230
• West Coast = 33,230
• Gold Coast = 16,776
• GWS = 14,635
• Adelaide = 11,466
• North Melbourne = 8,034

 

[Cmarsh]

My predictions for round 2 -

StK V Coll 52k
Adl V Gee 41k
Nth V Freo 15k
Haw V Mel 45k
Syd V Ess 38k
WB V GCS 10k (Interesting that the Dogs have elected to go for their first home game of the season in Ballarat).
Rich V Port 33k
WCE V GWS 40k

 

[magpiemaniac44]

My predictions for round 2 -

StK V Coll 34k
Adl V Gee 41k
Nth V Freo 15k
Haw V Mel 45k
Syd V Ess 38k
WB V GCS 10k (Interesting that the Dogs have elected to go for their first home game of the season in Ballarat).
Rich V Port 33k
WCE V GWS 40k

St Kilda v Collingwood will be 50k at an absolute minimum, probably low/mid 60s

 

[Cmarsh]

St Kilda v Collingwood will be 50k at an absolute minimum, probably low/mid 60s

Yeah saw it just now as being at the MCG rather than Marvel like I assumed. Corrected.

 

[Rouel_14]

Yeah saw it just now as being at the MCG rather than Marvel like I assumed. Corrected.

Anyone know why Saints home game at the G?

Personally I’m looking forward to attending the G with 20,000 of my fellow Tiger nuffies. Aww the days of the Wallace era, pick any seat on the joint you want



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[collingwood23]

Anyone know why Saints home game at the G?

Personally I’m looking forward to attending the G with 20,000 of my fellow Tiger nuffies. Aww the days of the Wallace era, pick any seat on the joint you want



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Think they requested to play a home game at the g for spuds game after the success of last years 150th year anniversary game vs Essendon.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

Anyone know why Saints home game at the G?

Personally I’m looking forward to attending the G with 20,000 of my fellow Tiger nuffies. Aww the days of the Wallace era, pick any seat on the joint you want



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Apparently they requested an early season game at the MCG against a big club. Was Essendon last year

Unfortunately for them, we're 0-2 so there might'n be as big a turnout as there possibly could've been.
It's our last game in Melbourne until Round 6 though, so that could pull some more along

 

[dave10]

Anyone know why Saints home game at the G?

Personally I’m looking forward to attending the G with 20,000 of my fellow Tiger nuffies. Aww the days of the Wallace era, pick any seat on the joint you want



Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

First home game for Tigers. Surely it draws ~35-40K in good weather? School holidays don’t forget.

 

[dave10]

Apparently they requested an early season game at the MCG against a big club. Was Essendon last year

Unfortunately for them, we're 0-2 so there might'n be as big a turnout as there possibly could've been.
It's our last game in Melbourne until Round 6 though, so that could pull some more along

Surely it fulls 60-65K?

 

[manicmagpie]

First home game for Tigers. Surely it draws ~35-40K in good weather? School holidays don’t forget.

Don't forget that school holidays don't start until the end of next week. Especially if you have kids.

 

[collingwood23]

Surely it fulls 60-65K?

Anything above 60k and I’m happy considering it’s a Thursday night and the current form that we are in.

 

[ep12]

Hawthorn Melbourne is another game that has historically drawn very poor crowds. Other than the round 22 game last year which drew 50K every other crowd over the last decade have been between 36-42.
Hawthorn's first home game after a good showing and a Melbourne replacement home game, hopefully it is more than 45K and closde to 50K.

 

[Underarm]

First home game for Tigers. Surely it draws ~35-40K in good weather? School holidays don’t forget.

The average crowd for Richmond v Port Adelaide is 25k. Only Gold Coast is lower.

The average for Port Adelaide at the MCG is 28k.

 

[JohnZ]

The standing area was packed shoulder to shoulder - and you can fit at least two people standing like that in the same space as a single seat. If they keep tickets there cheap i think it’ll be a great success and other stadiums will be tempted to try something similar in future redevelopments.

Don't know if it's possible to retrofit safe standing into Level M of the G and Marvel given the increased number of people (assume it would require wider aisles), however based off KP you get a 65% increase in capacity for standing bays compared to seated per square metre.

Hopefully the Shane Warne stand redevelopment takes note and incorporates it. I know overseas, some stadiums have implemented convertible bays that can switch between seated and standing by sliding the bucket chairs in and out. Soccer stadiums in europe have fold down seats which KP doesn't have.

Obviously the entire lower bowl (~50k seats) don't need to be standing, but if they converted the pockets (5k each = 20k total) could become standing (even if only for high demand games) would be something. Gets an extra 13k in the door for starters....

I really hope they don’t extend the season further. But you’d know AFL House would love the prospect of playing matches in Melbourne over the Labour Day Long Weekend as soon as possible.

AFL season can't realistically be extended earlier than Labor Day weekend due to weather unless they commit to playing night games 7 days a week like they did during covid. The only way it gets extended is if they push into October which doesn't historically go above 30. With 19 and possible 20 teams coming into the AFL, you're looking at a 25 game season realistically (24 H+A plus gather round).

 

[The Educator]

Don't know if it's possible to retrofit safe standing into Level M of the G and Marvel given the increased number of people (assume it would require wider aisles), however based off KP you get a 65% increase in capacity for standing bays compared to seated per square metre.

Hopefully the Shane Warne stand redevelopment takes note and incorporates it. I know overseas, some stadiums have implemented convertible bays that can switch between seated and standing by sliding the bucket chairs in and out. Soccer stadiums in europe have fold down seats which KP doesn't have.

Obviously the entire lower bowl (~50k seats) don't need to be standing, but if they converted the pockets (5k each = 20k total) could become standing (even if only for high demand games) would be something. Gets an extra 13k in the door for starters....


AFL season can't realistically be extended earlier than Labor Day weekend due to weather unless they commit to playing night games 7 days a week like they did during covid. The only way it gets extended is if they push into October which doesn't historically go above 30. With 19 and possible 20 teams coming into the AFL, you're looking at a 25 game season realistically (24 H+A plus gather round).

All for "safe standing" in the MCG and the Docklands

Out of interest, why do you think going to 19 and 20 teams necessarily means a 25 game season ?

 

[dave10]

The average crowd for Richmond v Port Adelaide is 25k. Only Gold Coast is lower.

The average for Port Adelaide at the MCG is 28k.

The Tigers / Power ticket sales look slow, early days though. Suspect will need big Tiger member rollup for first home game to ensure good attendance. You’d be disappointed if it were sub 30K it must be said.

 

[hawkers10]

My crowd predictions for the round:
Saints vs pies: 62k
Adelaide vs Geelong: 41k
North vs freo: 21k
Hawks vs Melbourne: 45k
Sydney vs Essendon: 37k
Dogs vs suns: 6k (no idea how much the stadium holds)
Richmond vs port: 40k
West coast vs giants: 38k

 

[Underarm]

My crowd predictions for the round:
Saints vs pies: 62k
Adelaide vs Geelong: 41k
North vs freo: 21k
Hawks vs Melbourne: 45k
Sydney vs Essendon: 37k
Dogs vs suns: 6k (no idea how much the stadium holds)
Richmond vs port: 40k
West coast vs giants: 38k

Worries at AFL House over potential crowd number for North Melbourne/Fremantle

“You’d think some early-season optimism would count for something here, but at this stage that’s not the case.”

www.sen.com.au

Considering the AFL are worried about the size of the crowd, I can't imagine it getting their 3rd highest crowd in Melbourne ever.

And 40k would be almost a record crowd for Richmond v Port Adelaide.

 

[MattF185]

I reckon Norf v Freo will be closer to the 15-17k mark and Richmond v Port around the 29-31k mark.

 

[collingwood23]

My crowd predictions for the round:
Saints vs pies: 62k
Adelaide vs Geelong: 41k
North vs freo: 21k
Hawks vs Melbourne: 45k
Sydney vs Essendon: 37k
Dogs vs suns: 6k (no idea how much the stadium holds)
Richmond vs port: 40k
West coast vs giants: 38k

West coast vs gws will probably be closer to 45k, Richmond port low 30s, north vs freo 15-18k and I think pies vs saints will be 65k+

 

[Cmarsh]

My crowd predictions for the round:
Saints vs pies: 62k
Adelaide vs Geelong: 41k
North vs freo: 21k
Hawks vs Melbourne: 45k
Sydney vs Essendon: 37k
Dogs vs suns: 6k (no idea how much the stadium holds)
Richmond vs port: 40k
West coast vs giants: 38k

Ballarat holds10-11k. It would be very disappointing if they only pull 6k.

 

[Cmarsh]

Worries at AFL House over potential crowd number for North Melbourne/Fremantle

“You’d think some early-season optimism would count for something here, but at this stage that’s not the case.”

www.sen.com.au

Considering the AFL are worried about the size of the crowd, I can't imagine it getting their 3rd highest crowd in Melbourne ever.

And 40k would be almost a record crowd for Richmond v Port Adelaide.

This also represents a long standing problem with Freo. They have never been an attraction as a visiting club.